Shifters
by Torilynneb
Summary: This is not a story about The Host. It is a dream I had, that I've turned into a story that slightly resembles the world that The Host takes place in. The Earth is not ours. It belongs to the Shifters, blue, transleucent beings that resonate a deadly dust that can kill with a single breath. I feel like I'm the only person left alive. ((Please comment or leave any feedback!))
1. Chapter 1

The city was silent. My quiet footsteps seemed to echo forever off of the blank walls of the nearby buildings. The sound unnerved me, but I kept moving forward. There was nothing else to do but keep moving forward.

A slight movement to my left made me freeze, turning as slowly as I possibly could to face what would most likely be my end. Instead, I was greeted by a dancing plastic bag. I almost had to laugh, but it died in my throat as I remembered that in this new age, laughter didn't belong. I sighed and looked up towards the sky. It was nearly dusk, and I needed to find shelter soon. I trudged along the street littered with papers, most claiming that the end of the world was nigh, save yourselves, your children, that 'they' were coming. We all thought they were crazy. But somehow, they knew. They knew the monsters that were coming to claim our beautiful green world for their own. It was sudden – we didn't expect it, nor could we prepare for what happened all within the time-space of a week. It started with new beings.

No one knew how they came here. We never had any crashes, and any reports of 'lights in the sky' were dismissed as being the talk of crazy people. They started appearing in streets, walking in small groups, seeming to be timid and almost nervous, though we later found out they were just as good at acting as the human race was.

They were beautiful. Tall, human-like, skin tinted blue and with a long elegant tail-like extension. Eyes that were cold, yet somehow, they entranced you. And the irresistible dust that shifted on their skin, providing the survivors of the first wave with a name for them - Shifters. Little did we know that they were our destroyers. The beautiful sparkling powder that enticed us to touch it was deadly to our frail systems, and to touch or inhale it was instant death. Our own curiosity about these new lifeforms was our own undoing. I shivered, remembering the day I first saw a Shifter. It held it's hand out to me, beckoning me to touch it. It was the third day of the invasion, and by then, we knew what the consequence was for touching one of these creatures. I ran as far and as fast as I could, leaving behind family and friends. I mourned their loss every day, berating myself for being a coward, yet trying to reassure myself that there was nothing I could do, that if I would have stayed in the same room with it that I surely would have inhaled the dust and died.

I shook my head, bringing myself back to the present. I hadn't seen a Shifter for at least a week, and it had been nearly a year since the invasion. I kept to the old cities mostly. Since taking over, the Shifters had built their own cities in what seemed a superficial attempt to project their own being onto the planet. Everything they created was the same strange blue hue of their skin. Even their deadly dust seemed to float above their cities, giving them the appearance of being in a complete haze, a sparkling ambiance to tempt any survivors to their midst.

I was wandering through what used to be downtown Seattle, making my way towards the waterfront. The giant sign for Pike Place Market hung off it's hinges, the smell of fresh fish long gone, the flowers that used to be sold every day dead and dried on the sidewalk. I ducked inside the first building I saw that looked like it used to be a restaurant, making my way to the back kitchen, hoping for some canned vegetables, or even sardines. My stomach turned at the thought, but I knew whatever I found I'd be scrambling to find a can opener for. Pulling open the fridge, I gagged and closed it quickly, my eyes watering. Whatever was in there was long spoiled. I grabbed for a cloth and pressed it to my face, wiping my eyes and rubbing at my nose, as if that could make the smell go away. I moved for the cupboards, opening them one by one, each one empty to my dismay.

"That's alright..." I said to myself, my stomach growling loudly in protest to my words. "There's other places to check." I had a sinking feeling however, that the longer I stayed in larger cities, the less food there was likely to be. The places I'd been looking in had been getting progressively emptier, probably a result of other survivors coming through and ransacking the place.

I sighed and turned to leave when a small cupboard I'd missed caught my eye. I quickly slid towards it, yanked the door open and breathed in relief. Victory – a can of sliced pears, and a package of saltine crackers. Not much, but I was so hungry I didn't care anymore. Sitting on the floor I ripped into the package of crackers, their salty scent making my mouth water. I found a knife not far away and jammed the lid of the pears open, making a small meal out of the fruit, crackers, and drinking the juice out of the can to keep my mouth from drying out.

Finally putting my hunger pains at bay, I set myself to finding a place to sleep. It normally wasn't hard, but I still made sure to search to find the least likely place that the Shifters would be searching for stragglers. I grimaced at the thought of waking up, only to see my death standing over me in the shape of a deep blue figure with ice in its gaze. It gave me a shiver and I hugged myself, walking out of the eatery, walking aimlessly down the street. For being Seattle, it was surprisingly nice, although I shouldn't have been surprised – It was August, after all. I turned a corner and found myself on the waterfront, raising my eyes to greet the lapping waves of Puget Sound. The sunset was beautiful, hues of orange and purple and red, turning the sky into its own beautiful rainbow. It made me smile slightly, to remember the sunset I once shared with friends, planning our lives, our futures. My smile fell. No more of that, I suppose.

Shaking my head, I turned from the beauty and walked towards the center of town. I don't know what made me turn to look back. All I know is if I hadn't, I wouldn't have seen the bright blue streak heading straight for me, a blur exploding from the sunset and landing straight into a building in front of me. I shrieked and dove for cover behind a crumbling wall, pieces of metal and brick flying over my head, smacking into the ground and breaking behind me. My heart raced. I couldn't breathe. All this time of playing it safe, of not getting caught, and now a new arrival was going to get the upper hand on me? Not this time. I didn't even take the time to see who or what this creature was. I ran.


	2. Chapter 2

I managed to get about five steps before I was frozen in time, unable to move my arms or legs. The air around me was filled with sparkling light blue dust, and by the time I realized that I could still breathe, it was too late. I drew a deep breath, my eyes rolling back. The world went black.

My mind was spinning, filled with a blue haze, eyes flickering under eyelids. What was wrong with me? Why couldn't I move? My mind frantically tried to answer the questions it was asking itself when all though processes froze. I was being touched by something. Something cool, and tingling.

I felt a hand (I thought it was a hand) brushing against my arm, touching over scars I'd received a few months back when running from Shifters. I began to tremble, unable to open my eyes for fear of what I would see standing above me. The hand moved to my hair and shifted through it. I felt as though I was being examined, though I had no idea what for. A thought struck me. Maybe I'd tripped, and another straggler had found me? Maybe this was another human! The idea of not being alone any more made my heart soar and I let my eyes slip open.

I had to stifle a scream as my gaze met the cool blue gaze of a Shifter. Flailing my arms as best I could in their still-numb state, I tried to get away. It was then I was aware that it was holding me, it's long extended tail helping to keep me locked in it's arms as it examined me. My struggles only caused it to hold onto me tighter. Tears filled my eyes and I began to cry, using all of my strength to push at it, the light blue dust on its chest flying free and settling on my clothes, in my hair, on my face. It tilted it's head, then let go of me all together, dropping me hard to the ground. I let out a small cry of pain as my tailbone hit the hard concrete, but still scrambled as far away from it as I possibly could, hiding myself behind a larger piece of a cement barrier. Only when I thought I was safely hidden did I look around.

The air was filled with the shining blue dust, almost like a million pieces of starlight had fallen from the night sky and filled the city square. It was breathtaking, and yet, I felt I couldn't afford to breathe, unless I wanted to meet an untimely end. The dust had me so enthralled that I didn't notice the Shifter walking towards me, coming to crouch down in front of me. I shrunk myself back in the cement, trying to escape its gaze, which looked at me questioningly. It moved so that it was merely a foot in front of me, it's stare still intent on my own. I closed my eyes and barely dared to breathe, wishing that the poisonous dust would just make it quick and painless.

I kept my eyes closed for what felt like forever, yet there was no final breath. Finally opening them, I was face to face with the Shifter, its face mere inches from mine. I didn't breathe. I didn't blink. It didn't blink. It just kept staring at me. After a few moments, it raised a hand. I flinched and whimpered as it moved to touch my cheek, but I was stunned into silence as it ran a single finger along my skin, almost in a caress. Then, it pressed its forehead directly against mine, closing it's eyes. A thought crossed my mind, though I knew it was not mine.

"_Safe..."_

My eyes widened and I somehow found my voice for the first time in a while, though it was more of a strained whisper. "W-What..?"

It's eyes opened and it looked directly into mine, and I noticed that there was none of the cold gaze typically indicative of a Shifter. This one was actually...emotional.

Our foreheads still touching, another thought crossed me.

"_Hear...me...?"_

I stilled for a moment, then, slowly nodded my head. "Yes...I hear you."

The Shifter's eyes lit up, brightening to a cerulean hue. It almost seemed excited. But...this wasn't possible. My mind raced as my eyes searched the creature in front of me. All Shifter's were dangerous, poisonous, and meant to rid the Earth of humanity. How could this be happening? Why hadn't I died from inhaling the dust that was now so obviously emanating off of the Shifter? My heart began to beat faster, my mind raced, and I began to feel like I couldn't breathe. I pulled my forehead away from the Shifter and tucked my knees to my chest, laying my head on it and covering it with my hands, rocking slightly back and forth.

The creature tilted its head to the side, it's mind swimming with my own questions, struggling to find an answer to them. It knew the reason it was meant to come to Earth, though its purpose was different from his siblings. But why this Earth creature was immune to his secretions was unknown to him. So he gave the only answer he knew.

Leaning forward, he laid his forehead against the back of the female's.

"_You...are special."_

My head snapped up, meaning to look it straight in the eye, but instead ended up smacking the underside of its face. Shocked, it sprawled backwards, skin flaring a bright blue momentarily, tail twitching as if it were irritated. I clutched the back of my head, feeling a small throbbing begin, and winced. The Shifter was slowly getting up, glancing warily at me, unsure about getting near me again.

I sighed. "I'm...sorry. Don't worry, I didn't mean to."

I slid my legs down to the ground, sitting cross-legged on the ground, leaning backwards against the concrete barrier. The Shifter mimicked me, almost seeming as though it was trying to fit in, as if I was showing it how it should act. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

Uncomfortable, I shifted. "Um...shouldn't you be...like, running off to the nearest city and meeting up with your own kind?"

It looked at me, it's eyes shifting back to the lighter blue I've now taken to mean it's happy..or something. It shook its head, and pressed a fingertip to my forehead.

"_Stay. Mission."_

My brow furrowed. "Yeah...you see, you can't stay with me. Your kind kill my kind."

It's eyes widened fractionally, more at the thought of not staying with me, which did nothing but confuse me all the more. It pressed a little harder with it's fingertip.

"_Protect. Safe. Mission."_

I sighed. "We need to get you a bigger vocabulary." Glancing to the side, I rubbed the back of my head.

"Well...what do I call you?"

It looked at me blankly.

"You know, what is your name? What do they call you?"

It's eyes sparked once, as if it understood, and next thing I know, it projects and image into my mind, one of a triangle with two flowers intertwining in the very center, surrounded by two giant explosions behind it that appeared to be fireworks to me. "Um...how do you say that?"

Again came the projections.

I waved it away. "Okay okay..." I thought of the triangle. "How about Tri? That's easy enough."

The creature pondered, then nodded.

"Great, this is just great. I'm talking to a Shifter. As if nothing has happened in the last year. What is wrong with me?" My brain chastised me for my actions, for even allowing myself to remain this close to one of the same creatures that had caused the demise of my civilization. Slowly looking at the creature, I bit my lower lip, unsure of what to do. Its hand had lowered, the connection it apparently had when touching me gone. Should I continue to stay in its presence? Should I run and not look back? The second thought made me pause. It seemed almost...harmless...compared to the others of its kind. I shook my head and tried to clear the haze that was my mind. I couldn't wrap my head around it. Why wasn't I dead? By every right I should be. Unless this Shifter was somehow defective. I shrugged, and in a final burst of desperation, my hand jutted out towards it, the first action of my own accord towards the creature that made me fear for my life.

"My name is Kina."

It stared at my outstretched hand, as if it didn't know what to do. Exasperated, I leaned forward further, curling my fingers towards my palm, beckoning its own hand to touch mine. It looked from me, to my hand, then back again, and the glow surrounding it changed slightly, softening. It raised a tentative hand and placed it in mine, closing its slender fingers around my own.

A spark burst from between our palms and I gasped, almost pulling my hand away. The Shifter seemed almost as surprised as I was, both of our eyes fixated on the small ball of light that floated above our hands. It twirled in the air, seeming to dance before settling back over the both of our hands, a warm periwinkle glow flowing over both of our skins, crawling up our arms until it infused both of our bodies. I drew in a quick breath, specks of dust flying in with it, unable to comprehend what was happening. We were both frozen in place, unable to move, to speak – but we could still think.

Suddenly, my mind was bombarded by a blinding white light filled with symbols and a language I didn't understand. I cried out and let go of the Shifter's hand, curling in on myself, holding my hands to either side of my head. It throbbed badly, and my vision was so blurred that I couldn't even make out the blue figure directly in front of me.

I remained still for what seemed like ages, the pounding in my head finally subsiding enough for me to realize that I wasn't the only one affected by whatever had happened. A strange strangling sound was coming out of the Shifter, almost as if it was in as much pain as I had been. I fumbled forward, reaching out with my hand to try and find it. I wasn't sure why I cared, but it tugged at my heartstrings to hear it sounding as torn up as my mind felt.

"Are...are you alright?" My voice wavered slightly as my vision cleared and I saw it was curled into the fetal position, almost tearing at it's smooth forehead with its slender fingers, creating small indentations into its scalp. Tiny white spots appeared on its skin from the pressure, as if it were about to break under the pressure. I leapt forward, tearing it's hands off of its head, holding them tight within my own. Without really knowing what I was doing, I leaned forward quickly and pressed my forehead to the Shifter's. "It's alright...the pain will go away, please don't hurt yourself..."

My eyes closed as I tried to think of the most calming things possible. Soft sunlight, the prettiest sunset, a beach with slow lapping waves. I'm not sure what made me think it could read my thoughts, but I hoped that my own would help calm it.

Slowly the sound began to fade, replaced by the softest whimpering. I opened my eyes, realizing my vision had cleared to normality, and looked at the slightly pitiful creature in front of me. I sighed and laid a hand on its forehead. It leaned into my touch and my eyes widened. I felt helpless, unsure of what to do. This...thing...it was normally an enemy. But this one...Tri, as I'd named it, seemed so different, so...human. Or at least moreso than any other I'd witnessed.

Tri's eyes opened and peered up at me curiously. _"Can you still hear me?"_

I blinked and without hesitating, thought back. _"Yes."_

His eyes widened. _"Somehow...I can speak your language much more fluently than I could before."_

My breath caught in my throat, my hand falling from his forehead and my brain acted of its own accord again. _"Wait...you could hear me? You can still hear me? You can hear my thoughts?!"_

He nodded. _"Yes, that is common in my race. However..."_ His eyes drifted to my hand, shocked. _"...normally it must involve touch of some variety to make the connection needed. We are linked in some way."_

I fell back against the concrete barrier, shivering, hugging my shoulders. "Great...I'm connected with a Shifter. Just what I need now. Now I'll never survive this." I mumbled to myself, oblivious to the fact that though our thoughts might be connected, he could still hear me as well. Tri, however, seemed more curious about the terminology. He moved closer to me, sitting back on his heels in a very human motion, his tail-like appendage swishing back and forth behind him. _"Shifter?"_

I rolled my eyes and glared at him slightly, answering him in my own voice rather than letting him read my thoughts. "Yes, Shifter. That is what you are. You're a Shifter. That's the name we've given your kind. The dust-like stuff you make seems to shift on your skin, thus giving you your name. Unfortunately, it's dangerous to most humans." I looked away from him, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. "It's your kinds' fault that my family is gone, my friends are gone, that most of my kind is gone. You've killed us."

Stunned into silence, Tri lifted up his arm and curiously looked at the small sparkling substance that danced on his skin's surface, brushing it off in a soft motion with his fingers. It swirled in the air and then seemed to evaporate, disappearing from view. His eyes grew sad as he turned to me, turning to a deep blue. _"I...do not understand. You have not been harmed, by myself or the vessel I came in. You are safe with me. Why are you distraught?"_

My head whipped up to face him, tears brimming in my eyes and threatening to overflow down onto my dirt-smudged cheeks. "Everyone I know and love is gone because of your race! They've all died because of your kind. I. Am. Alone." I punctuated each word harshly, glaring at him.

Tri looked hurt, moving back a pace from me, still kneeling on the ground. _"I...I do not understand..."_

"Then just go away! Just leave me alone!" I buried my face in my knees, finally letting the tears come with abandon, not caring anymore about where I was, or who I was with. The stress of pressing forward, of barely hanging on, finally had taken its toll and I was emotionally spent. I cried silently until I heard the slight crunch of the gravel and rocks surrounding us and the soft footsteps of Tri walking away from me. As soon as the sound was distant enough, a sob escaped my lungs and I poured my heart out into my dirty jeans, holding myself as tightly as I could for comfort, crying myself into an uncomfortable slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

The feelings that wracked Tri's mind were almost overwhelming. He stumbled as he walked away from the crying girl, pressing a few fingers to his temple, trying to assuage the slight pain starting. He was unfamiliar with these emotions, and was completely lost as to how to comfort her. Vaguely aware of the chill of night settling in, he wandered back to his vessel that had brought him here. The cold did not bother him, his skin emanated heat based on his surroundings to control his inner temperature. He leaned inside the small compartment, grabbing at the few things he knew would be essential for his survival, tossing a glare at the navigation controls. He would have landed safely outside of the city, nearer to the Complex he needed to get to if they would not have malfunctioned. The vessel was completely unusable. It would take him days to walk to the Complex near the base of the nearby mountains, and soon his systems would require sustenance. His tail twitched in irritation.

Tri straightened up from the broken mess and stretched his back, his extra sensitive ears picking up the tiny nuances of sound in the city. A tiny creature skittered across the floor in the building nearby, a small flying creature buzzing a few feet away, the wind blowing refuse along the street. One sound he didn't hear however, was the girl.

Uneasiness settled in his mind and he walked towards the cement block he had left her at. She was there still, yet no sound came from her. _"Kina?"_ He tried projecting a thought into her mind to elicit a response. She did not move. He felt his hearts rate increase, worry filling his being, the emotion foreign to him and causing his mind to spin. He knelt down on the ground beside her, eyes examining her entire crouched figure. Finally, by the glow of his skin, he saw the slight movement of her chest. _"She's breathing."_ Relief flooded him, the spinning in his mind calming.

However, another movement concerned him. Her entire being was trembling. He reached out to touch her skin and found it cool to the touch. He frowned. This was not normal. Earlier when he had touched her, she had been warm – not quite as warm as he, but still at a higher temperature than she was currently.

"_Kina? Are you in good health?"_

In her sleep, she moaned and held herself tighter, still not waking.

"_It seems the best course of action would be to return warmth to her limbs," _he thought to himself. Nodding, he leaned forward and gathered the shivering girl into his arms, holding her close against his chest. His tail helped him balance the extra weight he now carried as he walked towards the nearest building. It was tall and appeared regal from the moment he moved through the front entrance. Papers littered the floor, but the first wing was deserted. There appeared to be a dozen different living facilities in this building and it made him feel slightly more at home on this strange world. He made his way into the first room, the door held open like all of the others. Inside however, he was surprised to find a soft flat surface, more like a testing table than the pods that he was accustomed to sleeping in. He searched the thoughts he'd received from Kina about her past. Bed. So that's what it was.

Lying Kina down on the bed, he glanced down at her. She was still shaking, and it worried him. Feeling the exhaustion of the day finally settling in on his mind, he laid down beside her, wrapping his arms around the small figure to pull her to his chest, legs coming up to press her closer, tail winding around to press against the length of her back. She was encompassed in the warmth flowing from his body, and slowly as the minutes ticked by, her shaking stopped. She even pressed herself closer to him, her forehead flush against his chest.

Tri's hearts seemed to skip a beat apiece at the closeness of this female who seemed to trust him despite all the terror his kind had put her through. His arms tightened a fraction around her, a sense of calm and contentment settling over him. He closed his eyes and his glow softened. As he slipped into sleep, he whispered a final thought into her mind.

"_I will protect you."_


	4. Chapter 4

It was warm. Way too warm. My eyes fluttered open and I moaned, trying to push back the covers on the bed. This heat was stifling and uncomfortable and...heavy? I looked straight ahead of me and saw nothing but a bright blue light. Struggling, I pushed as hard as I could away from the creature wrapped around me, panicking. They found me? Oh god, how much longer did I have? A small shriek escaped my throat as I shoved hard, the grip finally releasing on me, only to fall off the bed and land hard on my tailbone. I winced, and suddenly a blue face appeared from up on the bed, eyes wide with surprise.

"_I am sorry, Kina, I did not mean to startle you."_

My eyes widened and I thought I was going insane, when all that happened the previous night came rushing back to me. Shifter. Mind talk. Yeah, this was great.

My mouth felt like it was filled with sawdust as I tried to swallow. "How did I get here?" I pushed myself off of the carpet of the hotel and glanced around, rubbing my behind.

"_I carried you. You were sleeping and began to shake for quite a long time. I noticed that your external temperature had dropped below your earlier skin warmth, and found it concerning. I brought you here and helped return your temperature to normal."_

I rolled my eyes. "It's called shivering, Tri. It happens when we get too cold." My voice sounded harsh in my own ears. Then my mind straightened itself out and I realized that if he had just left me outside as I'd told him to, I would have died in the cold November night. My gaze softened as I looked at him. "Thank you, for warming me up. I could have been in real trouble if you didn't."

Tri nodded, his gaze intense on my own. _"It was best."_

We stared at each other for a few more moments before my stomach rudely interrupted us. Tri's tail twitched, as he bent slightly, tilting his head as he moved a hand towards my belly. _"Do you have a tiny creature living inside of you, Kina?"_

It was just too easy. I started to laugh, the first real laugh I'd had in almost a year, the kind that made me grab for my sides because it began to hurt. Tears gathered at the corners of my eyes and Tri sat and watched me almost convulse in front of him with laughter. Gasping for breath, I sat on the bed, wiping at my eyes, a smile still on my lips. "Oh...my gosh...I'm sorry, Tri, that was just so funny! No, there's no creature inside of me, it was just my bodies way of letting me know that I need to eat."

He stared at me blankly. _"I...still do not understand why that is humorous."_

I giggled for a moment more at his misunderstanding of the matter, then straightened myself and smiled at him, the first genuine smile I'd given in a long while. "I just need to eat."

I paused for a moment and looked at him, a question lingering in my mind. "Tri...why don't you just speak to me? Why do you always have to read my mind, or whatever it is you're doing."

He stood off of the bed and looked at me as if the truth was plain as day. _"I do not have the capability to make sound, Kina. I have no vocal chords as you do."_ He stroked his neck to emphasize. I suppose I spent more time running away from the Shifters than studying their physiology.

My gaze turned quizzical. "What...do you eat?"

His eyes scrunched slightly and turned a lighter shade of blue, the shade I'd taken to mean he was happy, or, in this case, laughing I supposed. A small hum of a chuckle echoed through my mind. _"I'll show you."_

He moved towards the small window of the hotel room, the pale rays of Seattle sunlight trying to break their way through the cloud cover. His hand touched the window pane and his eyes closed, as the rays of sunshine seemed to be drawn into his very being, turning him a slight green color as the normal blue hues of his translucent body absorbed the yellow of the sun. Slowly they faded and he returned to normal, a deeper navy color returning to his body, deeper than I'd seen on him the day before. Obviously he'd been slightly malnourished yesterday when I'd met him. He turned back to face me.

"_We mostly live off of the land. As long as there is a sun nearby the planet we inhabit, we have sustenance."_

I nodded slowly, and a long, noisy growl of my stomach broke the short silence. I blushed and stood up, brushing myself off from the dust and small particles of debris on the floor. "I need to find breakfast. It might take a while..." I trailed off, biting my lower lip. I'd almost scoured the entire waterfront the week previous – I'd need to move further inland, and the chance of running into more desperate scavengers than me grew substantially. I sighed and rubbed my forehead with my hand. Nothing else to do but take a crack at it. Maybe if I stayed closer to the water and headed further north towards Greenlake I'd find something.

I walked to the door, turning to look back at Tri. "Do...you want to come with me? It won't be very interesting, but it will be less boring with someone else there."

Tri brightened visibly and nodded his head once. _"I would like very much to come with you."_

I flushed and gave him a small smile. "Alright then, let's get going."


	5. Chapter 5

"Jackpot!" I crowed, holding up a can of pasta in sauce with mini meatballs and a can of mixed fruit. There were a few bottles of water that hadn't been tampered with under the sink as well. We had settled in a house on Queen Anne, overlooking the city of Seattle. It had looked pretty well ransacked but obviously they hadn't looked underneath the bathroom sink. Maybe this person had been a hoarder of some kind. Grabbing a knife, I jammed it into the tops of the cans, making jagged cuts to get the metal containers open. Tri watched in fascination as I walked to a half open drawer and came out with a fork to eat my meal with. _"What...is that?"_

I glanced up, my mouth full of pasta. "Umm...Ith's..." I swallowed. "It's just food. But it's food I haven't seen in a long time. It's like...ummm...meat, and vegetables, and long strings of grains. That's the only way I can think of to describe it." I grabbed another forkful and savored the taste of overly sweet tomato sauce and the taste of the completely fake meatballs. To me it tasted like heaven, a little piece of what used to be.

What used to be. That thought slowed me down and I set the can on the ground in front of me, my appetite slightly soured. I stared at it, chewing on my lower lip as I remembered my little sister. This was one of her favorite foods, ever since she was a baby. Now...she wasn't around to enjoy them anymore. Tears stung at my eyes and I wiped at them quickly. Tri was at my side in a moment, peering curiously up at me. _"Who is that?"_

"Who is who?"

"_That tiny girl you thought of. Who is she?"_

"It's not is, Tri. It's was. She was my little sister. She died on the third day of the invasion. They came into our home. I saw them first. I ran. I left her and my family behind to face them alone." The tears started trickling down onto my cheeks. "I was a coward."

"You were acting for your own survival, were you not?"

I glared at him. "Yes. Yes I was. Something I didn't think I would have to do. Like, ever."

He was taken aback by my anger and his glow flickered slightly. "I did not harm your family, Kina."

I turned away from him. "No, but your kind did. They're the reason I have no family."

There was silence for a few moments that seemed to stretch into eternity. Suddenly, Tri's hands were on my shoulders, turning me to face him. _"I am not them, Kina. I have not harmed you, nor anyone else here on Earth. I do not wish to harm anyone. If I could disappear and take with me my brethren, I would, and leave you your planet. But I cannot. So please...do not compare me to something that you harbor such hatred for. I am different. You know that."_

My eyes widened as I stared at him, and I realized that he was right. He was not the one harming me or anyone else. In reality, he was the one thing keeping me alive at this moment. He had already saved me from freezing to death. If he'd wanted me gone, he could have left me. I lowered my gaze. "I'm sorry, Tri."

He leaned down and pressed his forehead to the top of my head. _"It is alright, Kina. You have not had the best experiences."_ He pulled back from me, and I lifted my head. _"Now, eat. I can tell that you are still not satisfied, especially how quickly you attacked that defenseless container of chunks sitting beside your can of...pasta._" He played with the word in his head, still not comprehending it.

I smiled a little at him and picked my can back up, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Alright, alright. And that can isn't chunks. It's fruit." I took a bite of the pasta. "You know...you and fruit aren't so different."

Tri blinked. _"How are we similar?"_

"Well..." I chewed thoughtfully. "You both photosynthesize sunlight to make food for yourselves."

He paused, then looked at the can and nodded. _"Very true. But I do not understand how something in such a solid container can turn sunlight into sustenance as I can."_

I choked on a noodle at his comment and started to giggle, spraying a little tomato sauce over the ground in front of me. I wiped my mouth and grinned at him. "You're so weird. The fruit is inside the can. The can is just a holder, a container for the fruit. They package the fruit in a can to keep it fresh longer."

"_Oh."_

Tri appeared flustered that he had not figured this out on his own. I waved a hand at him. "Don't worry about it, you're still very new here. You'll learn."

His aura darkened slightly, as if he was scowling. _"I'm sure I will. I better not take very long. I hate not knowing everything."_

His phrasing made me giggle again. He was just like a teenage boy in some aspects, expecting to know everything about the world and how things work within it. I smiled at him. "Why don't you go outside while I finish up my breakfast and get a little bit more sun? I think I see a break in the clouds." I pointed out the window.

Tri nodded. _"That is a good idea. I miss the warmth of the sun."_ He stood up and, tail swaying, walked out the front door.

I sat cross-legged on the floor and quickly ate the remainder of the pasta and meatballs, grabbing a few water bottles to stuff into my side bag, and ripped back the top of the fruit can. I started to get full after about half the can. _"Hmm...I wonder if Tri can actually eat human food." _I pondered and looked at the can, and finally decided to just ask him.

"Hey Tri! Can you actually -"

My words were cut off by the faint sounds of a human yell, followed by the loud bang of a gunshot.


	6. Chapter 6

I dropped the can and bolted for the front door, a few shots ringing in the air, drawing my attention to the lone teen standing in the middle of the street, Tri no where in sight. My eyes were wide as I searched frantically for him. "TRI?!"

"Don't move! I'll-I'll shoot!" the kid yelled, his voice squeaking with the tell-tale signs of puberty. I froze, not trusting the shaky trigger finger he obviously had. I turned slowly to look at him from the yard, my hands in front of me, trying to show I meant no harm.

"Whoa, kid...I'm human!"

His shotgun lowered, his eyes wary. "You're...human? But...your skin..."

I glanced down and blinked, realizing that Tri's dust had settled on my skin, sparkling in the sunlight. Cursing to myself, I scrubbed at my bare arms, the substance floating harmless to the ground. I held up my arm to let him see the bare pale skin underneath. "See? It's just craft glitter...it exploded all over me earlier. I haven't had a chance to shower."

He took a few steps closer, watching me carefully. "Are you alone?"

I nodded, but mentally sent out a call. _"Tri...if you're alright, please respond, and please stay hidden. This guy will kill you if he gets the chance."_

We stood in silence, looking each other over, him looking for a reason to trust me, and myself waiting for a response from Tri.

The kid finally holstered the shotgun into the sling on his back and held out his hand, his freckled face finally turning up into a grin. "The name's Thomas. I didn't think anyone was left in this area."

I took the offered hand and shook it lightly. "Kina. I don't think there is. Anyone else left, that is. I'm just passing through."

"_Kina."_

I jumped as Tri's voice filled my mind, taking me by surprise._ "Tri! Are you alright?"_

"_I am as well as can be expected. What was that object the young one was holding?"_

"_I'll explain as soon as I can. Where ever you are, Tri, please, stay hidden."_

Thomas looked at me curiously. "What's wrong? You have something wrong with your head?"

I blinked and shook my head, raising my eyebrow at him. "Why, do you?"

He looked offended. "No! You just looked like you were...somewhere else."

I shrugged it off. "Just thinking."

He rolled his eyes at me and shifted the gun on his back so it was more even distributed with the weight from his pack. "So, where are you headed?"

"I was just looking for a place to settle down for a little while. Maybe down south. It's warmer there."

He put his hands on his hips. "Don't you know anything? The Shifters have completely taken over down there. The sun attracts them, god knows why."

I bit my lip to keep from telling him off, but I shrugged. "I'll go someplace else then. What about you?"

He gave me a half-grin. "My uncle keeps carrier pigeons and keeps the few people of my family left with him, and sends me messages on where they are. I'm heading to the next location. He said it's the safest he's found."

He paused, looked down at the ground, then back up at me. "Do you want to come with me?"

I smiled at him halfheartedly, but shook my head, leaning up to ruffle his hair like I would my sister. "Sorry kid, I like being on my own. I've lived this long that way."

He scowled and swatted my hand away. "I'm not a kid! I'm sixteen, that's as good as grown up here."

I rolled my eyes. "Jeez, I'm sorry."

Thomas sighed and glanced down the street, shielding his eyes with his hand. "Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself? I shot at a Shifter here just up by that house you came out of...it's probably still around."

I glanced over at him, trying not to sound too concerned. "Did you hit it?"

"Nah, I missed, just barely though." He patted the gun. "Good up close, not too good long distance though."

A small sigh of relief left my lips, just barely audible. I rubbed at my face with my dirty hands, then turned to face the teen. "It's time for me to get going. You'll be alright on your own?"

He nodded. "Same as you, I've lived this long, haven't I?"

We smiled at each other and shook hands. "Maybe we'll find each other again someday." His voice sounded hopeful.

"Maybe." I agreed. I turned and walked back up the front porch of the white house, looking back to see him watch me, then cross the street and walk the way I'd come down the road.

Crossing the threshold, I sunk down to the ground, my entire body shaking. Never before had someone of my own species made me so frightened for a Shifter. I shook my head at myself. Scared for a Shifter. For a fricking Shifter.

"_Kina?"_

The voice sounded tiny and distant.

"_Tri? Where are you?"_

"_I...I am unsure. I did as you asked and stayed as I was previously, but I do not know where that is."_

I groaned. _"Can you use your mind thing to find me and come to me?"_

"_I can try."_

"_I'll go stand outside in the back yard of the house we were at to make it easier."_

"_I will do my best."_

Getting to my feet, I made my way to the meager excuse for a back yard, maybe not even five square feet of brown grass, and stood near the chain link fence, looking around for a glimmer of blue.

It took a good ten minutes for Tri to make his way back. Relief flooded me until I saw that he was limping. I jumped the fence and ran towards him, my heart pounding. "What happened?"

He grimaced, a hand held over a large gash in the side of his leg, a dark sticky substance trickling from the wound._ "While hiding, I stumbled and fell onto a sharp utensil of some kind. Foolish of me."_ He scolded himself. I held out my hand to stop him from taking another step and the knelt on the ground, slowly moving his own hand away to examine the wound.

The moment his hand moved, the fluid gushed out in thicker rivulets, and I panicked, pressing my hand against it as quickly as I could to stem the flow. Tri swayed slightly on the spot, his skin flickering with splotches of dark and light blue. "Tri? Tri, are you alright?"

"_I've...I've lost much fluids. It is affecting my equilibrium."_

I bit my lip and looked around, hoping to find a complete first aid kit lying next to me. Unfortunately, nothing appeared, so keeping my hand pressed to the wound, I managed to slip my outer shirt off, quickly wrapping it tightly around his leg. My hands were covered in the slightly purple fluid, but I paid them no mind as I stood up, lacing my arm around Tri's waist to give him support. He leaned on me slightly and together we made our way into the next nearest house. I helped him lay down on the couch, then set myself to find a better bandage than my shirt.

"Stay here."

I scoured the medicine cabinets upstairs, surprised to find that they hadn't been looted. I filled my arms with fresh white bandages, antiseptic and injury tape, making my way back downstairs. I dashed back to the house next door to grab my bag and horde of water bottles and snagged a bowl and rag from the counter, then went back to tend to Tri.

I sat on the ground and scooted myself up to his leg, his eyes watching me warily. _"What are you doing?"_

"I need to clean the wound, we don't want it getting infected." I set myself to tending to the wound, taking my time to make sure that the rust from whatever he had fallen on was all removed.

There was silence between us for a time, him watching me with an uneasy gaze, and my attention focused on my task.

Finally, he broke the silence. _"Kina...what was wrong with that younger human?"_

I glanced up at him, then looked back down at my work. "Why do you think there was something wrong with him?"

"_He seemed very angry that I was here, and seemed intent on harming me."_

"You're a Shifter, Tri. All humans want to kill you."

He grew frustrated, his aura darkening. _"I do not understand. I have caused him no harm. Why would he want to kill me?"_

I groaned and put the rag down that I was using to clean his wound. "Tri, I explained this to you already. Your race are the ones who are killing US. Therefore, we hate Shifters and want to kill them."

Tri glared at me, anger apparent in his eyes. _"I did nothing! And I do not understand! You say that we have killed your kind, yet you have been with me for a few days now and you are completely unharmed. We have inhabited different planets before yours and have lived in complete peace with the other races. How are you so different?"_

I shrugged, not looking at him, picking up the rag to finish cleaning the jagged cut. "I don't know, Tri. All I know is that your kind came here to our planet a year ago, seeming innocent and wanting to cooperate with us. We welcomed your kind with wariness, but still we welcomed you. And the moment we took a breath around your brothers and sisters, we died."

"_How are you unharmed then?"_

I put aside the soiled rag and dabbed on the antiseptic. "You're the first Shifter I've been this close to. All other times I have been near Shifters I have been too far away to breath in the dust, or I have held my breath until they have passed me by."

He fell silent, his aura calming down to his normal blue, as he contemplated the facts I had given him. I took advantage of the silence to finish bandaging his wound, winding the fresh cloth tightly around. I frowned as the first few layers were immediately soaked in a line of fluid, but the more I wound, the cleaner they became until nothing could be seen. I covered the entire bandage in athletic tape, hoping it would make it more water resistant.

"There. It should hold you for a while until it can start healing on it's own."

Tri nodded and stood up off the couch, wavering slightly, testing the weight on his leg. _"It seems to be back in good-"_ He began to shake, his hands flying out to give him balance, his tail trying to help, seeming only to throw him off all the more. I sprang up to try to help him as his leg gave out from under him and he crashed back onto the couch, grabbing onto me in a last ditch effort to stay upwards. I fell on top of him, smacking my head on the arm of the couch.

"Ack!" I curled in on myself slightly, rubbing my head, looking up at Tri. "Are you alright?"

A sheepish look was on his face. _"I am fine. I suppose it will take longer than a few moments to regain my balance."_

I smiled. "Yeah, typically it'll take longer than that."

He stretched his legs out to rest on the coffee table a few feet away, slouching back against the couch. I sat up to rearrange myself, sitting on his lap. His soft glow encompassed us both and he opened his arms. _"Here. This should be more comfortable for you. Stretch out your legs."_

I blinked at him, then moved so my legs were laid out on the couch cushions and across his legs, my head leaning onto his shoulder as his arms encircled me. A crimson blush flooded my cheeks. This was almost...nice. His warmth was enticing, tempting me to close my eyes. Just for a moment.

I yawned and his slender fingers found their way into my tangled hair. _"Rest, Kina. I will watch over you."_

My eyes slid closed and I drifted off into a light sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Tri looked down at the girl in his arms, sleeping, but only just. It warmed him to his core to see her comfortable. He stroked her hair, running his hand through the dark auburn strands, marveling at the feeling. She nuzzled into him, making a soft sigh of content, slipping a little deeper into sleep, a dream beginning in her mind.

He did not wish to intrude, but he longed to see what she dreamed of. His fingers tangled deeper in her hair, pressing against her head as his eyes closed and her dream filled his mind.

_Sunshine warmed her face and Kina smiled, wiggling her toes in the fresh spring grass, loving the feeling. She turned and her smile brightened as it landed on a young man walking towards her, waving his hand over his head, an equally large smile on his own face. She scrambled up and ran towards him, jumping into his arms. He swung her around and then pressed his lips to hers._

The strongest emotions crashed over Tri and he pulled his hand back, startled, blinking his eyes open. What...was that? He was confused. He had never felt emotions quite this powerful before. Nothing like this existed in his race previously. He pressed his hand to his chest, his hearts pounding furiously, as if trying to run from something. His eyes fell back on Kina.

"_Maybe...towards something."_

Gaze softening, he pulled his hand from his chest and tentatively stroked her cheek, a trail of light blue lingering on her skin. Remembering the...kiss...he found the word for it, he tilted his head, curious as to what it may feel like. His fingers moved from her cheek to her pale pink lips, lightly touching them. They were soft, like flower petals almost. He worked his face, trying to portray the emotion within him. His mind went to the dream again, remembering the smile on Kina's face.

Tri felt at his own mouth, touching the musculature surrounding them, relaxing everything, then attempted to smile. The muscles seemed not to want to move, frustrating him. He had no typical use for his mouth – his photosynthesis and mind-speak were enough. The only reason his race required mouths was for health reasons – there needed to be an easily accessible entry to his internal systems.

Frowning, he was determined to figure it out. It took him several minutes of focusing all his efforts on moving particular muscles, but he finally believed he could smile. Just the action alone filled his being, causing him to shimmer with happiness. He wished he could wake Kina, just to show her his new ability, but her silent sleeping figure halted him.

He smiled down at her, and wrapped his arm back around her, sinking back further into the couch, closing his eyes as the sun's evening glow flooded the living room covering them both in a soft warm light.

((Sorry this one is so short, I just really wanted to get something from Tri's P.O.V. :) Please review and comment please! Any suggestions are welcome! ))


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: You asked for more, so here it is! :) Thank you guys so much for your reviews, I had kind of lost hope for this story, but reviews help keep me inspired to finish Tri and Kina's story. Let me know how it is!

It was hot. Way, way too hot. Keeping my eyes closed, I stretched and winced as my neck and back popped unceremoniously, letting me know that I definitely did not sleep in the best position last night. I sighed and finally cracked my eyes open slowly, realizing why I was so warm. _"Jeez, this guy is like a sauna." _my mind grumbled as I pushed myself into a sitting position, brushing a few stray brown locks out of my eyes. I threw my legs over Tri's, trying not to wake him as I tiptoed away, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

The faint light of sunrise peeked in through the window, just barely piercing through the early morning Seattle fog. I yawned and stretched again, hoping my tight muscles would unwind and quit complaining. Leaning on the windowsill, I stared out at the small front yard, a small piece of Puget Sound visible in the distance between the houses across the street. A small smile slid onto my lips as I remembered the short but happy dream I'd had.

"Justin.."

I sighed softly, putting a few fingers to rest against my lips, remembering what it felt like to kiss him, to have no worries, no cares...to be truly happy.

We were young, that was true. He was only seventeen and I fifteen when we met, but I instantly fell for him. Not that he noticed, until I grew up a little more. But I waited, was patient, and when he finally had asked to take me to homecoming my senior year, I could have died from happiness. He was the kind of boy that all the girls giggled about in the locker room – dark hair that hung in his eyes, which were a shockingly deep blue, almost just like Tri's...

I started, blinking myself out of my memory-lane reverie. Had...had I really just compared Justin to Tri? To a Shifter? I shook my head, putting a hand to my forehead. What was wrong with me?

Feeling a little more than uncomfortable with my own thoughts, I looked at Tri, still sleeping on the couch, his tail twitching against the hardwood flooring of the living room. He looked so...content, while he was sleeping. I tilted my head, watching him for a few moments more before a shiver raced through my body. I rubbed my bare arms, remembering that I had used my shirt to keep Tri from bleeding out earlier. Seems like upstairs might be a good place to check.

Tossing one more cautious glance Tri's way, I made my way upstairs, rummaging through the closets to find something remotely my size. The teen girl's bedroom I started with obviously had belonged to an anorexic twig, since everything was either a size zero or two. I made a face in disgust and decided to check the master bedroom, only slightly more successful there. The mother had been a few sizes bigger than me, and obviously gardened too much at the local community dirt plot.

Grumbling to myself, I chose the least country-looking one, a long-sleeved dark green plaid shirt. I rolled up the sleeves and trudged downstairs, throwing up a hand to block the now insistent sun glaring in through the front windows. It seemed the sun wasn't bothering just me.

Tri's eyes slowly opened and crinkled in annoyance as a stray beam of light landed right on his face. He made the same action as I did, except he looked more like a teen boy not wanting to wake up for school, his arm slung across his face to completely block out the light. I giggled, the noise alerting him to my standing nearby, and he peeked an eye out, seeming to grimace.

_"__I am not much of a morning person, I think."_

I laughed and leaned forward, poking his arm gently. "What about the sun being this wonderful ball of food for you?"

He squinted his eyes at me, annoyed slightly._ "It is necessary, but it does not mean that I wish to awaken exactly when it decides to rise and bring even slight pain to my eyes."_

I rolled my eyes. "You are definitely NOT a morning person, Tri." I moved towards the front door. "I need to go find a few things to eat. You stay here."

_"__I'll come with you."_ He moved to take his leg down and go with me, but the moment he tried to stand, he wobbled and only kept a standing position because his tail actually did work with him this time instead of seemingly having a mind of it's own.

I shook my head. "You need to rest your leg. I'm just going into the three neighboring houses around us to see if I can find anything to eat. You'll hear me scream if I really need you." I smiled at him. "I'll be right back."

He gave the equivalent of a sigh in my mind and slowly nodded. _"Alright. Please be careful."_ He wanted to return her smile, but thought better of it. A better time.

I nodded. "Of course!" Then with a short wave, I was outside, trekking across the five-foot yard to yet again try to find something to eat.


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you so much for the reviews everyone! Everytime I get a new one it's a new inspiration to write more - in fact, I didn't even want to write tonight, but seeing the new ones made me think more and bam! Typed out a new chapter :) I'm so glad you all enjoy it! This chapter almost made me cry while I wrote it, so here you go!

* * *

Frustration began to take over as I searched the third house. Seriously, hadn't these people bought more than a weeks worth of food, or coupon-ed, or something? I rolled my eyes as I picked up a stray can. "Great. Lard. Exactly what I wanted!" My sarcastic tone didn't even seem to really reach my own ears as I got a loud and uncomfortable response from my own stomach. I rubbed it a little, trying to assuage the growing pain. Ugh. I needed food...and badly. It had almost been a full day, and surprisingly, this was the longest I'd gone without even a little bit of bread or a can of vegetables since the invasion began.

I kicked the can of lard across the kitchen floor, shoving my hands in the pockets of my newly acquired shirt. My brain stumbled across my vague memories of north Seattle, trying to think of new areas that I hadn't hit yet in my searching. Unfortunately I was coming up blank.

I headed for the back door and held my hand up to my eyes against the bright August sun. "Should probably go check at least one more house..." I mumbled, almost laughing as I caught myself checking both ways before crossing the street. Sure, a random Shifter craft was just going to run me down. That was possible, right? I shook my head, smiling slightly as I ran across the street and into the brightly painted house, dodging in through the giant bay window that had been left open, dirt-smudged pale blue curtains dancing in the light breeze.

The sight that greeted me shocked me – a very pink nursery, stray toys littering the floor, happy pictures of the family featured on the walls, a small bassinet pushed to the far wall out of the sun's reach. I ran my fingers along the soft blanket laid across the side of the bassinet, small pictures of dancing elephants and circus monkeys grinning up at me. I drew my hand back, a sad stillness in my heart. The world I knew truly was gone, forever, it seemed. No more happy babies. No more loving mothers. No more families.

My eyes started to tear up and I looked away, turning for the door to the room when a closet door caught my eye. Half open, it looked like there were a few shiny objects glittering inside, reflecting the sun's gaze._ "Maybe it could be baby food! That's better than nothing!"_

I reached out and grabbed the handle, flinging the door open eagerly. And I immediately turned and retched all over the pastel pink carpet of the nursery, falling to my knees.

A mother, clutching her baby girl to her chest, was covered in a light blue dust, her face begging, eyes blank and lifeless. The baby's mouth was open in an unheard scream, her tiny little fists balled up as she shrunk into her mother's non-existent warmth. Both still. Both gone.

A sob escaped my throat as my stomach heaved again, my hands pressed flat against the plush carpet. My eyes watered and tears fell down my cheeks in thick rivulets as my heart ached and twisted in my chest. Why did it have to be this way? What did we do wrong? What had this family done to deserve this? I fell to my side and curled up in a ball, my own cries wracking my body as I finally allowed myself to cry for everything – my own situation, my family, for Justin.

It felt like forever that I lay there, shaking and trying not to look at the fallen remnants of the family. My stomach heaved a few more times, both from lack of food and from the scene that still was burned into my mind.

Suddenly, a pair of warm arms encircled me and the room was bathed in a soft blue light. Tri held me close to his chest, wiping a small trace of liquid from the corner of my lips. He carried me out of the house, not saying a word, and into the sunlight, sitting on a soft patch of grass. Fingers found their way onto my head and he stroked my hair, letting me cry until all I could do was hiccup, my heart and stomach achingly empty.

"_Kina...are...you alright?" _Tri's concerned gaze looked down at me until I raised my gaze to meet his, tears still watering in my eyes.

"Why, Tri? ...Why did they have to die? She was j-just a b-baby..." I hiccupped, sniffling.

He glanced towards the house and then back at me. _"I wish I knew, Kina."_

I turned my head and, not caring whether he was a Shifter or the best human being in the world, buried it into his chest, wrapping my arms behind him, holding onto him for everything I was worth. My sobs raised anew and he held me all the tighter, rocking back and forth gently to help comfort me. Eventually, he stood and carried me back to the house we had spent the previous night in. He laid me down on the couch, fluffing a pillow to place under my head, and covered me with a blanket. He knelt next to me, placing a hand on my head.

"_Kina...did you find sustenance?"_

I shook my head. "N-No...I-I didn't find anything n-nearby.."

He nodded. _"I will go look for you. Rest. I will be back with something to nourish you."_

His fingers brushed over my eyes. _"Rest, Kina..."_

I closed my eyes and, curling in on myself, drifted off into a light sleep.


End file.
